Environmental and youth organisations call for MP inquiry into benefits of outdoor learning

Chief executives of 32 organisations, including The Wildlife Trusts, National Youth Agency and Field Studies Council, have written to the chair of the Education Select Committee, Conservative MP Robert Halfon, outlining the role of outdoor learning in engendering a lifelong habit of nature engagement, which will help children and young people to feel mentally well.  

The letter states, ‘Teaching good environmental awareness and the sustainable stewardship of our lands and seas should be key components to preparing our youth for life. For children and young people, and indeed for all adults too, a positive connection to the natural world certainly provides a strong foundation for long, healthy and fulfilled lives, and especially for the most in need. This connection will be vital to rebalance society’s relationship with the natural world, and to properly address the immediate climate and nature emergencies.’

The organisations, which work with hundreds of thousands of children and young people across the UK, have joined forces to create a voice for children and young people, who are experiencing isolation during the pandemic and who are falling behind academically as well as developmentally.

Through their extensive experience, they have seen and documented the many benefits that come from outdoor learning and contact with nature in terms of educational attainment across the curriculum, resilience and wellbeing.